Sputum cup holder



March 8, 1955 H. B. CRANSHAW SPUTUM CUP HOLDER Filed Jan. 26, 1954 jnz/eizior Haroldfi. (Vain/mu .fiiys.

United States Patent SPUTUM CUP HOLDER Harold B. Cranshaw, West Newton, Mass., assignor to Burnrtol Manufacturing Co., Charlestown, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application January 26, 1954, Serial No. 406,285

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-274) The present invention relates to cup holders, and more particularly to sputum cup holders of the kind adapted to be used by patients in hospitals, institutions and homes.

Heretofore the holders for sputum cups were of such construction as to require the removal of a used cup through the top of the holder frame. The extraction of the cup was not only inconvenient for the operator but also oftentimes resulted in spilling of the content, with the result that the sputum would contact the operators hands or other surfaces thereby increasing the danger of spreading germs. This difliculty in removing used cups frequently occurred in the use of these known devices because the handle means, as well as the bottoms upon which inserted cups rested, were integral parts of, or immovably secured to, the frame in order that the device would be of sturdy and economical construction.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a holder from which a used sputum cup can be conveniently and safely removed for the purpose of disposing of said cup, thereby avoiding the danger of spreadmg germs and at the same time preventing rusting and premature deterioration of the holder device. Another object is to provide a holder in which the handle means, as well as the bottom, are not immovably positioned, but may nevertheless be securely held in position when a cup is positioned therein, and still be easily displaced when it is desirable to remove said cup. A further object IS to provide a holder that is relatively easy and economical to manufacture. These and still further objects will become more apparent as the disclosure continues.

According to the present invention the holder comprises a frame with an open bottom and a handle movably mounted at one side of the frame to move between normal and retracted positions, the handle having an extension projecting under the holder when the handle is in normal position to support a cup and moving to one side when the handle is moved to retracted position to permit the cup to be removed through the open bottom, together with means to hold the handle in normal position. Preferably the handle is pivoted to swing back and forth between the aforesaid positions and the extension projects all the way across the open bottom. In the preferred embodiment the handle has a hump on its upper side in the region of its junction with the extension to engage the lower edge of the frame when the handle is in normal position.

For the purpose of illustration typical embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are front, rear, top and bottom views of one embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3 showing the handle in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the handle after it has been pressed inwardly to disengage the free end of the extension;

Fig. 7 is a view like Fig. 5 showing a modification;

Fig. 8 is a similar view as the handle approaches or leaves closed position; and

Figs. 9 to 13 are sectional details of various modifications.

The particular embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 comprises a frame 1 having front, back and sides but no bottom and a lid 2 hinged by means of a pintle pin 3 extending through bent tabs 4 and 5 on the frame and lid respectively. Between the tabs 4 is a thumb piece for opening the lid. A handle H is pivotally mounted on the pin 3 by means of a bent tab 6. Between this tab and around the pintle is a coiled spring having one end 7 pressing upwardly on the lower side of the thumb piece and the other end 8 pressing inwardly on the handle yieldingly to urge the parts toward closed position. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the handle extends downwardly along the back of the frame and thence outwardly, downwardly and inwardly to form a finger piece 9. The handle has an extension 10 which projects across the bottom of the frame and the free end of the extension is bent upwardly and inwardly to form a hook 11 which snaps into a slot 12 in the front of the frame by virtue of the resiliency of the handle. To engage the hook in the slot the finger piece is pressed inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 6 and the free end of the extension is lifted against the bottom of the frame. Then when the finger piece is released the resiliency of the handle draws the hook 11 into the slot 12 as shown in Fig. 5. At the junction between the handle and the extension a hump 13 is provided to cam the extension downwardly when the finger piece is pressed inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 6. This drops the hook 11 below the plane of the bottom of the frame so that it clears the frame when the handle swings to retracted position. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the lower edges of the front and rear walls of the frame are provided with recesses 14 and 15 to receive the extension When the handle is in closed position, thereby more firmly to hold the handle and extension against lateral displacement.

After the handle has been swung to retracted position the cup C may be discharged downwardly through the open bottom. Usually the cups are made of paper tapered from top to bottom and the internal dimensions of the top of the holder are preferably made slightly smaller than the top of the cup so that the upper edges of the tapered cup frictionally engage the upper edges of the walls of the frame and so that a slight downward force is required to discharge the cup through the open bottom.

The modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is like that shown in Figs. 1 to 6 excepting that the handle is shaped differently, the free end 17 of the extension 10 seats inside the holder over the inturned edges 18 of the frame and, when the parts are in closed position, the hump 19 seats inside the frame as shown in Fig. 7 instead of outside as shown in Fig. 5. Thus the hump tends to cam the upturned end 17 forwardly against the front of the frame as shown in Fig. 7. To swing the handle and extension to retracted position the handle is pulled outwardly, whereupon the hump 19 slides under the frame and the upturned end 17 slides over the inturned edge 18, after which the handle and extension are free to swing to retracted position. When the handle is shaped as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the first finger may be inserted through the finger piece 9 with the second finger bearing in the crotch beneath the finger piece, thereby affording a firm and steady grip. With the hump 19 hooked over the inner edge of the back of the cup as illustrated in Fig. 7, the extension 10 need not engage the front wall of the cup and may extend only part way across the bottom of the holder.

In Fig. 9 the frame has an internal bead 31 against which the tapered cup bears. Thus after the cup is lowered a slight distance it clears the bead and drops out freely. In Fig. 10 a similar result is obtained by bending the upper edge of the frame inwardly as shown at 32. In Fig. 11 the upper edges not only bend inwardly but also downwardly as shown at 33. In Fig. 12 the outer walls 35 of the frame slope inwardly from bottom to top. Fig. 13 is like Fig. 11 except that the upper edge 34 of the frame is not bent downwardly so far.

Instead of inserting the cup downwardly through the top of the holder it may be inserted upwardly through the open bottom, and when the holder has an internal head or lip at the top, as in Figs. 9, 11 and 13, the upper edge of the cup may fit under the bead or lip, as illustrated in Fig. 13, thereby minimizing the danger of sputum getting into the crack between cup and holder.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the salient features of the invention comprise an angular retainer having its upper portion 18 disposed at one side of the holder externally thereof and having its lower portion extending under the holder to keep the cup C from falling through the open bottom of the holder, together with a hinge of some kind pivotally interconmeeting the retainer to the aforesaid side of the holder to permit the retainer to swing from normal position to a retracted position in which the open bottom is unobstructed, the retainer having a surface 19 engaging over an edge of the open bottom to hold the retainer in normal position and the hinge being located at the upper end of the upper portion so that the lower portion slides laterally from under the cup as it moves from normal to retracted position thereby gently depositing the cup on a surface only a short distance below the open bottom, instead of abruptly dropping the cup through a relatively long distance. As illustrated the upper portion of the retainer preferably comprises a handle 9 for lifting the holder and actuating the retainer and the surface 19 cams over the edge of the cup in swinging the retainer from normal position to retracted position.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A cup holder having a frame with an open bottom, an angular retainer having a normal position in which its upper portion is disposed at one side of the holder externally thereof and its lower portion extends under the holder to keep the cup from falling through said open bottom, and a hinge pivotally interconnecting said retainer to said side of the holder to permit the retainer to swing from said normal position to a retracted position in which said open bottom is unobstructed, the retainer having a surface engaging over an edge of said open bottom to hold the retainer in normal position, said hinge being located at the upper end of said upper portion so that said lower portion slides laterally from under the cup as it moves from normal to retracted position.

2. A cup holder according to claim 1 further characterized in that said upper portion includes a handle for lifting the holder.

3. A cup holder according to claim 1 further characterized in that said edge is on said side of the holder and said surface cams over the edge in swinging the retainer from normal position to retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 600,354 Buckley et al Mar. 8, 1898 1,026,081 Dorais May 14, 1912 1,265,435 Davis May 7, 1918 1,959,857 Davis May 22, 1934 1,980,434 Prahl Nov. 13, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 440,436 France July 10, 1912 

